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Kyrene Corridor sports notebook

By Brian Gomez

Corona junior tennis player Lynley Wasson used consistent deep shots and strong net play to capped an undefeated season May 3 by winning the Class 5A state singles title.

Wasson accomplished the feat on the strength of a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Tucson Salpointe Catholic freshman Claire Soper at the La Camarilla Racquet, Fitness & Swim Club in Phoenix.

The win ran Wasson’s two-year varsity record to 57-2. Wasson advanced to the finals by triumphing in three matches in two days. She defeated Highland’s Megan Spears in the second round, before knocking off Mesa Red Mountain’s Courtney Koenigsfeld in the quarterfinals and Phoenix North Canyon’s Stephanie Farrer in the semis.

In the Class 5A state doubles tournament, Corona’s Elizabeth Holly and Meghan Houk suffered a 6-1, 6-2 quarterfinals loss against a tandem from Salpointe. Corona’s Chaz Stolworthy and Jamie Raun fell 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round versus a pair from Red Mountain.

As a team, the No. 4-seeded Lady Aztecs were knocked out of the state tournament after sustaining a 5-1 loss to No. 1 Phoenix Xavier at La Camarilla. Unbeaten Xavier later captured its fourth straight state title with a 5-2 victory over Salpointe in the championship match.

Wasson mustered Corona’s lone point thanks to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Xavier’s Becca Smalley. The Aztecs advanced to the state semifinals by beating No. 13 Phoenix Maryvale and No. 12 Casa Grande.

Morgan reclaims state record

Breaking the state’s pole vaulting record wasn’t enough for Corona junior Katie Morgan, who accomplished the feat April 18 at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., with a leap of 12 feet, 9 ½ inches. She had to do it twice.

Morgan leapt 13 feet, 1 inch to break her own state record April 24 during the Tempe City Meet at Hascall Henshaw Stadium. She was only one inch away from matching the national junior class record.

Morgan had shared the previous state record of 12 feet, 8 inches with Lake Havasu senior April Kubishta.

Koehnemann goes on a tear

Corona senior Steven Koehnemann sprinted into the state record books last month by running the 100 meters in 10.43 seconds at the Tempe City Meet.

It not only was the third-fastest time in state high school history, but it also was the nation’s third-best mark recorded by a male this season. Koehnemann initially entered the state record books April 11 at the Tempe Relays by finishing the 100 meters in 10.55 seconds, the fifth-fastest time in Arizona prep history.

Koehnemann ran the 200 meters in 21.27 seconds to capture first-place honors at the Tempe City Meet. He also anchored Corona’s 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams, both of which emerged victorious.

Cleveland shatters records at state

Records fell May 3 at the Arizona junior track meet when Aprende Middle School seventh-grader Jndia Cleveland helped lead her team to the state championship.

Cleveland broke the state’s hurdles record that she set last year and she also became the new state record-holder in the long jump. Cleveland’s relay team took second place.

Last month, Cleveland won every event she participated in at the conference meet. She is currently ranked fifth nationally in the 80-meter hurdles, 13th in the pentathlon and 26th in the long jump.

McBride’s season ends at NCAAs

Former Corona tennis player Ryan McBride, now at Arizona State, saw his freshman season come to an end last week.

McBride sustained a 6-1, 6-2 loss to freshman Andy Sinn and four of his teammates also fell in singles as the No. 32-ranked Sun Devils were upset in the opening round of the NCAA Team Championships by No. 41 Fresno State at the Taube Tennis Center in Palo Alto, Calif.

What they’re doing now

Former Corona quarterback Mike Hold was fired as head coach of the Arena Football League’s Carolina Cobras last month, shortly after his team was dealt a 62-22 loss to the Arizona Rattlers. The Cobras went 0-13 under Hold, who came to Carolina this year after spending two seasons as head coach of the af2 Augusta Stallions.

“I didn’t do the job they asked me to do, and that was to win football games,” Hold said in a statement. “It’s the nature of the beast as a coach. I didn’t fulfill my end of the bargain.”
Aztecs headed to college

Four Corona soccer players will likely be playing at four-year schools this fall.

Senior goalkeeper Eric Reingen has signed with UC Irvine and senior midfielder/defender Erica Smeltzer has inked her name with the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Senior defender Anson Cain has given an oral commitment to Point Loma Nazarene and senior goalie Kim Kukla has done the same with Grand Canyon.

Coaching report

Kevin Chapin has resigned as Corona’s girls junior varsity basketball head coach, citing a need to spend more time with his new wife. He will continue serving as head coach of the Corona junior varsity softball team.

Central Region realignment

School officials recently announced that the Central Region will undergo realignment for all sports this fall.

Scottsdale Desert Mountain is being replaced by Yuma High. Corona, Marcos de Niza, Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista will remain within the region.

Baseball camp to be held at Corona

Kyrene Corridor resident Tim Vasquez will be conducting a youth baseball camp for kids ages 11 to 18 this summer at Corona. The five-day clinic is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 24-28.

Ballplayers will learn the basics of the game, including batting techniques and defensive drills, among other aspects. There will be several guest speakers, in addition to “Showcase Saturday,” where youngsters can display their skills to college and professional scouts.

For registration information, contact Vasquez at (480) 628-3251.

Want to improve your soccer skills?

The Arizona Futbol Club will be holding a soccer camp for boys and girls ages 4 to 14 this summer at three East Valley locations. The eight-week skills program is scheduled to run June 3 through July 31 at Mesa High, Mesa Skyline High and the Tempe Sports Complex, located at 8401 S. Hardy Drive.

Kids of all abilities are welcome to attend the instructional camp, where hundreds of soccer players have trained for the past decade under the guidance of high school and collegiate coaches and coaches from the Arizona Heatwave. The clinic will focus on the individual skills needed to become a better player through fun and challenging exercises.

For application and registration details, visit the AZFC’s Web Site at azfc.org. If you have any questions, contact Chris Farabee at chfarabee@aol.com.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@wranglernews.com.

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